Growth of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in nude mice: potentiation of laryngeal carcinoma by 17 beta-estradiol.

We successfully transplanted and serially perpetuated human head and neck tumors in nude mice by using tumor tissue derived from 10 of 14 (71%) independently obtained surgical specimens. Tumor growth was achieved with specimens derived from cancers of the floor of the mouth, hypopharynx, and larynx. Tumors in nude mice retained their histological stage of differentiation and human species origin. Prompted by reports of increased estrogen receptors in laryngeal carcinomas, we tested the effect of estradiol treatment on the growth of laryngeal tumor implants. Time to tumor formation was decreased and tumor size was increased in estradiol-treated animals relative to placebo-treated animals. The results demonstrate that estradiol treatment potentiates growth of laryngeal tumors in nude mice. This tumor model can also be used to evaluate antihormonal therapy in the treatment of some laryngeal carcinomas.